Journal-box mechanism



April 0, 1929. A. o. BUCKIUS. JR 1,711,040

JOURNAL BOX MECHANISM Original Filed April 1'7, 1923 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR ATTOR EY April 30, 1929. A. o. BUCKIUS. JR

JOURNAL BOX MECHANISM 2 SheetsSheet 2 Original Filed April 17, 1923INVENTOR v ll/I/ A/// a w .0 4

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES i 1,711,040 PATENT] OFFICE.

ALBERT O. BUCKIUS, JR, F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY M ESNEASSIGNMENTS,

TO NATIONAL MALLEABLE AND STEEL CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,

A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

JOURNAL-BOX MECHANISM.

A lication filed April 17, 1928, Serial No. 632,606. Renewed November15, 1924.

Fig. 1 is a section of a journal box em bodying my invention with thelid in closed position; and Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sections similar toFig. 1 showing the lid in half opened posi' ion, not quite full openedposition, and full opened position, respectively.

My invention relates to journal boxes of the type shown in my priorPatent No. 1,099,964, granted June 16, 1914, and C0111- priscs animproved structure in which the lid mechanism has been made to conformto and operate with the A. R. A. standard hinge lug without loss ineffectiveness. To this end I employ a lever, which, when the lid is inclosed position, has a bearing lying wholly within the mouth of the box,and the lid and hinge lug are arranged so as to provide a fiat anduninterrupted seating bearing for the lid clear around the edges of themouth of the box. My invention also comprises the various features whichI shall hereinafter describe and claim.

Referring to the drawings, 2 represents the journal box having a hingelug 3 of standard A. R. A. design, to which the lid 1 is secured by thehinge pin 5. On the inside of the lid 4 is a bearing 6 for a coil spring7, the upper end of which bears against the lower arm 8 of the bellcrank lever 9. The lever 9 preferably has integral trunnions 10 whichseat in'the sockets 11 on the inside of the lid. The upper arm of thelever has, beginning at its upper point ,12, a convex face 13 whichmerges into the elongated concave face 141, both of which in differentoperative positions of the lid 4 and lever 9 come into bearing against.the downward projection 15 of the hinge lug 3, which lies flush with orwithin the mouth of the box. The lower portion 16 of the forward face ofthe hinge lug 3 is preferably slight- 1y concave and is usually providedwith a recess or notch 17 therein. The surface 16 also forms a part of aflat and uninterrupted seating bearing for the lid clear around theedges of the mouth of the box.

When the lidis closed, as is shown in Fig. 1, the bell crank lever 9bears'near the lower end of its concave face 14: against the inner sideof the projection 15 of the hinge lug 3, and the pressure exertedagainst the lower arm 8 of the lever by the spring 7 serves to hold thelid tightly against the mouth of the box. As the lid is opened from snapthe lid shut.

the position shown in Fig. 1 to that of Fig.

16 of the hinge lug 3, and the spring 7 is i then free to expand andforce the lever 9 to throw the lid 4 to full opened position shown inFig. 1, in which the upper edge18 of the lid (which is in the form of ahousing) has come into contact with theishoulder 19, winch is to therear ofthe top side of the hinge lug 3. i i

In closing the lid, pressure is appliedat the outer edge of the lid, thelever 9 being in the position shown in Fig. 4, with the point 12 of thelevertilted away from the recess 17 in the forward face 16 of the hingelug 3, the face 13 of the lever 9 being con vex so as to prevent thepoint 12 from be- 1 coming lodged in the recess 1 and thereby renderingthe device inoperative. shown in Fig. 3, the point 12 of the lever ridesover the recess 17 and engages that part of the lug face 16 which liesbelow the recess 17 Continued closing pressureon the outer edge of thelid brings the point 12 ot the lever around the point of projection 15,when the spring 7 is free to expand and When the lid 4; is in closedposition, as is shown in Fig. 1', the upperend ofthe lever extends upinto the rea 2Q. i As is indicated in Fig. 1, the spring holds the leverso close to the lid that neither lever nor spring can be detached fromthevlid unless the spring is compressed and the lever rotated so as todisengage the trunnions 10 fr o1n the sockets 11 on the lid. Thispernuts the lid to be shipped with the parts assembled thereon withoutit being necessary to secure the parts thereto.

To provide sufiicient leveragefor the lid and also to preventinterferencegwith the journal box Wedge 21, the thickness ofthe upperend of the lever 9 is decreased, and

its working face lengthened by making it concave at 14 to give a moreextended hearing on the projection 15. As a result, the upper point 12of the lever at the beginmug of the opening (or near the end of theclosing) movement swings through a As is now in use and enables the lidsto be usedwith boxes embodying the A. It. A. standard, but it alsoprovides a lid which maybe shipped with all the parts assembled ready tobe applied to journal boxes.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and I llflVGlllO intention, imthe useofsuch terms and expressions, otexcluding any mechanical equivar lents0t theteatures shown anddescribed, or portions thereof, but, recognizet-hat various structural modifications are possible Within the scopeofthe invention claimed.

lVhatI claim is: i

1. In journal box lid mechanism, the combination with a journal boxcharacterized by a anouth opening and a hinge lug, the mouth openinghaving an uninterruptedflat surface 7 thereabout arranged in a @singleplane, which-isaid surface merges into the lowenportionof the hinge lug,and 1n these respects identicallycorresponding to a ournal box ofstandard American Railway Association-typeya lid pivoted to thehingelug; thediingelug having within the box: a a recess: partiallyvoverlying a journalqbox wedge; operating mechanism between the lid andthe hingelug comprising a sprlng rpressedplever; the upper end of thesaid lever having anopierating face engaging a downwardvprojection;onthe hinge lug, the extent of said face inside the point ot engagementwiththe projection when the lid is closed beinggreateri than thedistance from: said point to: the journal box wedge, the operating-faceof theilever being recessed to permit the upper end o't the lever tomove about said point during the opening and closingiof the lid insubstantially a parabolic path to prevent contact with said ournal boxWedge. p

2. In journal box lidiniechanism,ithe, combination with a journalboxcharacterized by a mouth opening and a hinge lug, the mouth openinghaving anuninterrupted fiat surface thereabout arranged in a singleplane, which said surface merges into .the lower portion otthe hingelug, the upper portion of the face ofthe hinge lug and the lower portionhcing separated: by a recess, and in lever being arranged during theopeningand closing movements of said lid to more along the sald tace ofthe hinge lug and across the said recess upon its rocker, said rockerbeing of an extent and curvature suliicient to span said recess andprevent the end of the lever front wedging therein, the said lcveralsoengaging a portion of said box inward of the:pl aneot said mouth openingto hold the lid in, closed position.

3. A. hinged liditor journal boxes, comprising a lever pivoted in opensockets on the insidcgotithe lid, a spring between one arm otthe, leverand the lid, the other arm of the lever normally extendingsubstantiallyparallel to the lid and close to a portion thereof, the said lever having a spring pressed bearing on the insidcot the lid to preventaccidental separation,therefrom before application tothe box and beingincapable of separation tronrthe lid except by rotationain saidsocketsand upon strong compression of said spring, said levcrjcngaging-also aportion of the box insidethe mouth of the boxwhen the lid is applied tothe box,

4. In journalbox lid mechanism, the combination of a journal box ofstam'lardAmerican RailwayAssociation type, characterized by amoutlropening and a hinge lug, the lower portion of the front face ofsaid hinge lug merging into a plane surface about the said-mouthopening, said plane surface torming a continuous and uninterrupted flathearing t'ace about said niouthopening; a lid pivoted to the hinge lughaving a continuous fiat bearing uponthe said face when the lidis closedwhereby the entire mouth opening is sealed by the lid; the middleportion of the lid extending outwardly from the planenofthemouthopening; the walls of such portion sloping inwardly at all pointsinto the said continuous bearing surface of the lid; and a springactuated lever mounted in the said middle: portion of the lid and extending inwardly therefrom, said lever bearing on a portion of the hinge lugwithin the i'nouth of the box when the lid is closed and being adaptedto travel across a portion of the said plane surface during opening andclosing movements of the lid.

ALBERT O. BUCKIUS, JR.

